Into The Light
by ConsultingHunterOfGalifrey
Summary: Sequel to "In My Veins" and "Open The Floodgates" and the last in "The Blood Trilogy". A broken king. A heartbroken hunter. And the little matter of the fate of Heaven and Hell. Will things end well for once?
1. Chapter 1

It broke Dean's heart, seeing Sam like this.

He spent most of his free time beside Crowley. Dean didn't invite him on hunts anymore. He knew his brother's mind would be miles away. The way Sam looked at the demon (well, man, now…)… It was as if he was silently pleading. Pleading for miracles. Pleading for a chance to make things right.

Dean knew the feeling all too well.

Dean tried to keep his mind off things by hunting any son of a bitch that went bump in the night, but it didn't work. Especially when he tried to hunt alongside Cas. Ever since he and the angel got together, there was a sort of shift with their dynamic. It was hard to focus, trying to make sure his boyfriend would be alright.

"Boyfriend." He thought, "never thought I'd call him that."

Gabriel and Kevin were fine. Mostly. Kevin continued to try and translate the tablet. He focused solely on his task. Dean knew why. He wanted to see again. He wanted to get out of this life for good. Dean couldn't blame him.

Gabriel stuck by his prophet. He seemed to be playing nice. He even helped Kevin with translating the more obscure languages. But they were still no closer to finding a way to fix things.

Dean frowned. Things were such a mess. He couldn't stand it.

"This is all my fault…"

~0~

That night, Dean woke up, Cas curled up beside him. Despite Cas having Gadreel's stolen grace, he still had some human needs. Dean smiled fondly, and kissed Cas's cheek. Cas stirred a little, smiling lightly.

Despite everything, Cas made him happy. He… He loved the angel. Cas was probably the one person he hadn't screwed over.

That was going to make things hard.

He climbed out of bed and got dressed. He had a duffel bag ready by the door.

"Sorry, Cas. I can't hurt you, too. Or anyone else." He whispered as he set a note on his pillow. He crept out of his room.

Dean passed by the infirmary. As usual, Sam was asleep beside Crowley's bunk. Dean simply sighed and walked away, heading for the garage.

That's when Gabriel appeared before him.

"What the Hell are you doing?" The archangel said sternly.

"A hunt just came up."

Gabriel gave him a look. He wasn't buying it. Dean sighed. "I'm leaving. Look at this mess I've made! Kevin's blind, Crowley's in a coma, and Sam…" He looked back at the infirmary.

Gabriel looked back, too. Dean could've sworn he was just as sad as him. He sighed and shook his head. "Why do I bother trying to set you dicks straight?"

"Things'll be better without me around! For everyone!"

"Everyone? Cas included?" Gabriel asked, raising a brow.

Dean sighed.

"You're his world, you know…"

Dean sighed again. "Gabriel…"

"You honestly think running away from your problems will solve everything?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

"Tell me, Dean-o, did running away do me any favors?"

"No."

"Look. sometimes I wonder if I'd have stayed around when Lucifer rebelled, helped out, if my family wouldn't be the dysfunctional mess it is."

"So you're asking me to stay?"

"More like insisting. At least for your brother and Cas's sake."

Dean groaned and dropped his bag on the floor. Gabriel snapped his fingers, making the bag disappear.

"And Dean, one more thing…"

"What?"

"If you ever try and skip out on my brother again, I'll kill you. Repeatedly. Again. And none of them will be hilarious."

Dean nodded and headed back for his room, when he noticed something out the corner of his eye.

Crowley was stirring.

"Sam…"

~0~

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. This has been a long time coming. I'll tell y'all what I told people on "Here We Are Again". I've been distracted, had writer's block, and a lot of stuff lately. I got a job and school. I may not update all that frequently, okay? Be patient. I'll finish my projects, just chill. I'm not dead. I whipped up this chapter real fast as sort of a way whet your whistles. I'll try to work on this when I can, I'm just having issues plotting this one out, okay? Good.

Carry on, my Wayward Companions. -CH

[UPDATE: I FIXED IT! Sorry about the earlier post!]


	2. Chapter 2

Crowley was drawn deep within his own mind. It was dark and cold. His surroundings were familiar, almost nostalgic. A rainy road in Scotland. He remembered taking the road many times as a boy. Every stone and speck of dirt was engraved into his mind. For what felt like weeks, he had been walking this road. It never ended.

As he walked, he would hear voices. Unpleasant ones. Past lovers and associates, cursing his name. Souls he'd damned, pleading for him to undo the deal. Those he'd tortured and murdered, screaming in agony. The more they called, the harder it got to walk.

There was one voice that rang louder than the rest. A voice he'd never thought he'd hear again.

"Gets harder ta trudge on with all this weight on yeh. Eh, Father?"

Crowley looked over. As usual, "his son" was right beside him, glaring at him. He'd been here since Crowley fell into this state.

"Yer sins sure did pile up. Yeh we're a horrid father, an' a despicable demon…"

"The latter goes without saying, doesn't it, Gavin? Glad to see you've remained a idiotic waste of my-"

"Yeh beat me! Ah was just a wee lad! Ah didn't have no one ta protect me!"

"Well, wasn't my fault your mother wasn't around."

"Mum was dead!"

"A tragedy and a blessing. You didn't know her like I did. Have you honestly run out of my shortcomings to berate me with?"

"Gavin" was silent a moment. "Yer avoiding tha issue."

"What issue?" Crowley sniped back.

"Tha one at tha crossroads…"

Sure enough, in the distance, there was a crossroads. Crowley remembered it, too. He'd sold his soul there, after all.

"Yeh know yeh almost died." "Gavin" continued. "Yeh know yeh have the choice ta die. Yer just afraid ta make it."

"Why the hell would I…?"

"Yer afraid ah what's waitin' for yeh on either side…"

Crowley shook his head. He knew there was a reason he was holding on. He thought back to his conversation with Cas, weeks ago.

"What could humanity possibly offer me?" He'd asked.

"Crowley…" A voice said.

He turned his head, he swore he saw a golden light next to him. He kept onward, the crossroads getting closer.

"Crowley, please. If you can hear me… Come back…"

Crowley saw the light again. It took a form. A humanoid form.

He kept onward.

"I know it's hard. Facing everything. You've made mistakes. So have I. Mistakes we can't erase. But, I could help you…"

The light started to grow more human. It looked like…

"Just… Wake up." Sam said, fully forming from the light. "Please. There are so many things I was going to tell you. That I wanted to look into…"

Crowley stopped, mere feet from the crossroads. "Sam…"

"The Hunter?" "Gavin" said, incredulous. "He's the reason you're clinging to life?" He laughed. "You're not even sure if he returns your feelings."

Crowley sighed. That was true.

"How could he love you? All those terrible things you've done? You will always be The King of Hell. The one who screws over everyone…" "Gavin" shifted into Meg. "Killed everyone who got in your way…" "Meg" shifted into Sarah Blake. "And hurt those they cared for to hurt them." "Sarah" returned to "Gavin". "Honestly, you're meant to be damned."

Crowley sighed. The voices got louder. A sign appeared at the crossroads. One of the signs read: "End".

It sounded rather pleasant.

Crowley looked over to "Sam". "Sam" looked at him, with those puppy-like sad eyes. He could tell he was disappointed. And it stung. Crowley couldn't believe he'd ever feel this for Sam. He didn't want to hurt Sam anymore.

It remembered how he wanted to be worthy of Sam. It was why he'd taken the blood in the first place.

"Well, I can't do that dead, now can I?"

The other sign lit up. It faded, only bright letters remaining.

"New Beginning".

Crowley looked at his options. "Gavin" continued to harass him. "Sam" still said nothing. Crowley stepped forward. He felt something as stepped forward. He started remembering things.

Sam's visits to the dungeon, including the "not date". Saving Sam's life. Kissing him. Twice…

The look on Sam's face as he started succumbing to the blood.

He looked at "Sam". "Not the most pleasant note to leave on, is it?"

"Sam" shook his head.

Crowley rolled his eyes, sighing at how ridiculous this was. "You're as bad as this one when it comes to guilt trips…" He said, pointing at "Gavin".

He headed for "New Beginning".

"I was never one for dying anyway."

~0~

Crowley slowly opened his eyes, everything was white.

He could hear Dean shouting at his brother. Gabriel's voice rang out as well.

Crowley blinked a couple times. The white infirmary came into focus.

"…Some space, Dean…" He caught Gabriel say. There was a snap.

Crowley looked to his left. Gabriel and Dean were nowhere to be seen. There was only Sam. His hair was disheveled, like he'd been sleeping not that long ago. He was smiling down at him, almost relieved. Crowley could almost swear he saw tears in his eyes.

"Hello, Moose…" Crowley said, still a bit weak.

"Hey, Crowley…" Sam replied.

Crowley glanced at his bedside. "What? No flowers?"

Sam chuckled. "Haven't had the time…" Sam blinked, his smile slowly melting away. "Crowley, I have to tell you: you're not…"

Crowley felt his eyelids grow heavy. His head, a bit clouded, couldn't understand why.

"Moose, could you tell me later? I'm still a bit… tired…"

Sam nodded. "Sure. Sure…"

Crowley looked over at the bed next to his. It was unmade.

He closed his eyes. "Do me a favor. Sleep in your own bed tonight…"

And with that, he drifted off to sleep.

~0~

Happy Halloween. Have a new chapter. Carry on my Wayward Companions. -CH


	3. Chapter 3

Sam went down the corridors. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relieved. He walked past Dean and Cas's room. He could hear the sleepy tones of Cas's voice, and the reassuring, hushed tones of Dean's. Sam was happy for the two of them. God knew the two had earned it. And that it was about damn time.

He reached his room. Sam was surprised to find the door was slightly open. He pushed it the rest of the way, and chuckled. Crowley seemed to have nested there: his few possessions were on his nightstand. The bed also looked like someone had been lying on it. A lot. Also, there was a book on the bed. Sam inspected it.

It turned out to be a notebook by one of the Men of Letters. It contained their findings on demons. The effects of the cure, their weaknesses, etc. He set the book on the bookself. Then he pulled off his flannel shirt and his jeans, flopping onto the bed. He fell asleep not long after.

~0~

His ringtone woke him up. Sam groaned and rolled out of bed. He pulled his cell phone out of his jeans' pocket, squinting at the screen, and groaned. "Hello?"

"Hello, Moose…"

"Crowley?" Sam groaned. "It's like, 5 in the morning…"

"Oh, is it? I've lost all sense of time being stuck down here so much!"

"It is too early for this crap, Crowley…"

"Can you just come down here?"

Sam had a conflict of interest, here. On one hand, he wanted to sleep. Oh, how he wanted to sleep. On the other hand, he wanted to be with Crowley. (There's something he never thought he'd want.)

Sam sighed and went back to Crowley.

~0~

Crowley lay in his bed, looking at the door. Sam soon entered.

"Finally. I'm cold." He'd pulled up all the blankets, but they weren't enough. "I can't pull over the blankets…" He reached out for the bed next to him. He tried using telekinesis, but they wouldn't budge. He felt he forgot something.

Sam sighed. "Crowley, you do realize why you're alive right now?"

"Angel mojo?" Crowley asked.

"No… Sort of… You see… I cured you…"

Crowley paled. Of course. That's what he forgot. He was human again. That's why he felt cold. Why he felt. He looked up at Sam. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you cure me?"

Sam didn't answer at first.

"WHY DID YOU BLOODY CURE ME!?"

Sam sighed. "I thought it was obvious."

Crowley raised an eyebrow.

Sam shook his head, "Oh for the love of…" He then leaned in towards Crowley and kissed him, gently, on the lips.

Crowley blinked. He then pulled Sam close and kissed him back. This time was longer.

Soon, it escalated to tongue. (Sam couldn't deny it this time.) Then Crowley was pulling off Sam's shirts and his own trousers.

Everything… was going…

Crowley slowed down and pulled away.

Sam panted. "Crowley, what…"

"'M tired again, Moose…"

~0~

Sam sighed and hung his head. Aw well, probably better not to rush things. He scooted the other bed over so it touched Crowley's. He then laid close to him.

"I told you to-"

Sam curled up around the smaller man. Crowley reacted like an animal who was being petted. "I'm keeping you warm…" Sam said, leaning his head against Crowley's.

Crowley adjusted himself and practically purred: "Thanks." And drifted off.

Sam grunted in response, already falling asleep as well.

~0~

The next morning, Crowley was wake for good. He didn't move though, enjoying having Sam around him.

"Well, what do you know?" He thought. "He really does have feelings for me… His brother is going to kill me."

Sam stirred. "Mmm… Hey."

Crowley turned around and smiled lazily. "Hello, Moose."

The two began to kiss again. Then there was a knock at the door. Crowley sighed and got up, wiping dried drool from his mouth. He wobbled a little, not used to being on his feet again, but made it to the door.

He opened the door and saw Dean. Dean raised an eyebrow. "Hey. Pants."

Crowley sighed. He'd forgotten about the night before.

Sam walked over, buttoning up his flannel shirt. Dean blinked, looking bewildered.

"…Oh, God…"

Crowley realized what Dean thought. "Oh. No. Surprising as it is, we didn't…"

Dean just powerwalked away, mortified.

Sam shook his head. "I'll talk to him." Sam ran his hands over his bedhead, taming it. "You get dressed." He kissed Crowley's head.

Crowley stepped aside to let Sam through. "Hey, Sam."

Sam turned around.

"Thank you… For saving me."

Sam smiled. Crowley could now fully appreciate how that felt.

"You're welcome. Thanks… For not dying."

Crowley leaned on the doorframe. "Anything for you, Moose."

When Sam disappeared, Crowley was hit with a thought. "I'm not a demon anymore. I've got no claim to Hell's throne. Abaddon won."

He sighed. Technically, he "won", too. He got the boy. But at least "fighting for Hell" was one less problem on his list.

But at the same time, he knew this raised about 99 more.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dean, how easy do you think I am?" Sam said, following after his brother into the kitchen.

"So you didn't have sex with him?" Dean asked.

"Not really. Even if I did do it, You're one to talk. You screwed Cas before you were officially a thing!"

"That is true." Castiel said, pouring the boys coffee and Gabriel made waffles. Kevin lay sprawled out on the table, exhausted.

"Even if I did, I'm a grown man, Dean. I can make my own decisions…"

Crowley padded into the kitchen not long after.

"Welcome back, Crowley." Cas said.

"G'morning, sunshine." Gabriel said.

Kevin made an unhappy grunt.

Crowley groaned, still a bit tired and cold. When they sat down, Sam wrapped an arm around him, rubbing him, then kissed the top of his head. That made him feel slightly better.

Sam winced, remembering Kevin was there. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Kevin. I know you have issues with Crowley, so you may not like that…"

Kevin signaled Sam to stop. "I don't give a damn right now. I have more important stuff to do. Plus, at least I don't have to see it…" He waved his hands in front of his face to drive the point home.

Castiel awkwardly rested his head on Dean's shoulder. Crowley raised a brow.

"Oh, yeah. Cas and Dean are together, officially."

Crowley drank some of Sam's coffee. "About time… Damn, if I was still a demon, my council would owe me thousands."

"And if I wasn't legally dead, oh, the things the pagans would owe me."

Sam reclaimed his coffee from Crowley and went to get another mug. "That reminds me. Gabriel, how did you not die? Or come back?"

Gabriel shook his head as he set waffles in front of everyone. (Crowley huffed at getting the smallest stack.) "A good magician never reveals his secret, Sam-O." The archangel replied as he emptied an entire can of whipped cream on his stack.

Sam rolled his eyes and dug in.

Crowley's first meal as a human tasted divine. He hadn't _really_ enjoyed a meal in over three hundred years. Sure, there'd been the occasional bite here and there, but it never really tasted as good.

Plus, there was the whole "being in a coma for days" thing.

He continued to scarf down his food. He looked over at Sam, who was chuckling. Dean rolled his eyes. Castiel sat up and pushed his plate to Crowley.

"Here. It tastes like molecules to me, anyway."

Gabriel finished his waffles and gaped at his brother in mock offense. "You wound me, Cas. You wound me." The archangel looked over to Kevin. "You done?"

Kevin nodded.

"Alright, back to work then, I guess." He said, teleporting the two of them back to the library.

Castiel got up. "I have some business to get to. I'll be back later."

"Business?" Dean asked.

"Yes. May I borrow your car?"

"No, she needs a tune-up. But there are a couple of other old cars in the garage. You can borrow one of them."

Cas smiled. "Thank you, Dean." He said, kissing him and heading to the garage. Dean followed him, no doubt to work on Baby.

Sam sighed. "Well, I'd better get to work studying knights of hell. There has to be a way to stop Abaddon. Feel free to join me."

"Eh, not today, pet."

Sam shrugged and kissed Crowley's head. "Well, if you change your mind."

Once Sam left, Crowley headed for the garage.

"Look, Dean. I know you don't like me, or me being involved with your baby brother, but I think I have a way to get you to trust me."

Dean was under Baby, tightening things. "Yeah, what?"

"A way to take down Abaddon…"

Dean wheeled out from under the car.

"Ever heard of the Mark of Cain and The First Blade, Squirrel?"


End file.
